It is no secret that many of the ThunderClan cats consider their Clan to be the most important. We do often tell stories from their point of view. The Prophecies Begin arc is entirely from Firestar’s perspective. Brambleclaw, Leafpool, and Squirrelflight all had their say in the New Prophecy series. In the Power of Three arc, we saw things from the perspective of Jayfeather, ThunderClan’s grumpy medicine cat, along with his siblings Lionblaze and Hollyleaf. In the A Vision of Shadows arc, while we did branch out by including Violetshine’s point of view, Alderheart and Twigbranch were the other main characters, so it was still a very ThunderClan-centered story.

But as readers know, no Clan stands alone. The interaction of the five Clans is what makes life by the lake tick. To better reflect that fact, we’ve spent a good amount of time seeing things from different points of view. While The Broken Code arc did feature Bristlefrost, a ThunderClan cat, we also saw things through Shadowsight’s and Rootspring’s eyes, representing ShadowClan and SkyClan respectively. In Tigerheart’s Shadow, a super edition within the Vision of Shadows arc, we got to enter Tigerstar’s mind just before he becomes the new ShadowClan leader. In Crowfeather’s Trial, we were able to see the inner workings of WindClan in the wake of the battle with the Dark Forest. But the RiverClan perspective has been noticeably absent. We did set a special about Crookedstar in RiverClan, and there was a RiverClan manga, but they focused on the past, showing what was happening in RiverClan while the main story took place elsewhere. Not since the first arc have we had this somewhat mysterious Clan tell their story in the present.

There have been a couple of reasons for their viewpoint being missing. For starters, RiverClan has often chosen to isolate themselves from the rest of the Clans. After Darktail took over part of ShadowClan’s territory, Mistystar helped drive the Kin off their land, then she closed RiverClan’s borders to give them time to regroup and heal. In The Broken Code, during Ashfur’s possession of Bramblestar, a rebellion was formed against him, and the Clans took sides. Unfortunately, RiverClan sided with the imposter, arguing that it had not been proven that this cat was only pretending to be Bramblestar, and as leader, he deserved respect, no matter how much they disagreed with his actions. Mistystar even exiled Icewing and Harelight for fighting on the side of the rebels during the final battle against the supposed ThunderClan leader. Of course, it was later revealed that Ashfur was indeed an imposter, so those who had stood by him were that much more removed from the other Clans.

Another reason for RiverClan’s absence is that they are physically isolated from the other Clans. On their border with ShadowClan, they are separated by a Thunderpath and a Twolegplace. The river keeps them apart from WindClan, and the lake separates them from SkyClan and ThunderClan. It is no wonder, then, that they have not been as much a part of the frequent interactions between the other Clans.

But that doesn’t mean they haven’t had rich lives and stories of their own all the while. We thought it was high time to bring some of those stories to the forefront. Particularly since they had a significant role in combating Ashfur once he was finally exposed. While they may not have always been the most interactive of the Clans, they have certainly made important contributions, and their Clan deserves to be explored in greater depth.

So, in the upcoming arc, A Starless Clan, the first full arc to feature a RiverClan point-of-view character, we wanted to hear from a young member of RiverClan, right as they are going through a moment of serious upheaval. We thought it would be interesting to see what happens when RiverClan, so used to keeping their own counsel, find themselves in a position where they may be forced to involve other Clans in their affairs. Worse, some major decisions could fall into the paws of an apprentice, who isn’t at all sure she is ready for that level of responsibility. In a time of rebuilding, we thought it would be most compelling to choose a point-of-view character who had grown up feeling secure that her older Clanmates could be trusted to run things and would always be around. What will she do when that comforting rug is pulled out from underneath her? And how will RiverClan’s situation force them to deal with other Clans in ways they have fought hard to avoid? While other Clans have gone through similar struggles, RiverClan’s unique history of self-imposed isolation makes dealing with these challenges even more intense.

The bottom line is, RiverClan is demanding to be heard. We think that A Starless Clan will remind readers of RiverClan’s strength and heart while revealing the weaknesses they have yet to overcome. No matter how they end up dealing with the troubles they will soon face, one thing is certain: This will not be the last we hear from RiverClan.